Reconstructions of mangroves geometries proxies for coastal resilience proximity against mean sea level rise / Nurul Izzah Zulkurnian

The issue of rampant cutting down of mangroves in Malaysia's mangrove forests is an urgent matter that requires immediate attention. However, the lack of precise information on the spatial distribution of mangroves has impeded the efforts of authorities to manage these forests effectively. To bridge this gap, a study was conducted to map the geographical distribution of Malaysian mangroves between 2001 and 2021 and estimate the changes in mangrove geometry as a result of land use and land cover change. The study also spatially intersects Mean Sea Level rise data from Permanent Service for Mean Sea Level website with the deforested area of mangroves at the district level. By reconstructing the geometries of Malaysian mangroves, experts can use the spatial distribution of these mangroves to gauge coastal resilience against mean sea level rise in Malaysia. This involved integrating the sea region with the position of tide gauges and computing the deforested area in accordance with the sea regions. Correlation matrices and regression analysation had been conducted to learn the significances between the relationship between mean sea level, mangroves area and also the population on the district tide gauge in Malaysia. The study's findings suggest that the deforestation of mangroves and the rise in mean sea level have significantly increased between 2001-2021, which undermines the capacity of mangroves to function as a bio shield for the coast and safeguard coastal populations.